Process and apparatus for the photographic liquid processing of coatings on flexiblesupports



Aug. 2, 1960 H. SIEGEL 2,947,236 PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR THE PHOTOGRAPHI'C LIQUID PROCESSING OF COATINGS ON FLEXIBLE SUPPORTS Filed July 31, 1957 IN V EN TOR. W446 S/EGEL ATTORNEY Par PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR THE PHOTO- GRAPHIC LIQUID PROCESSING OF COATINGS ON FLEXIBLE SUPPORTS Hans Siege], Wallischgasse 10, Ulm (Danube), Germany Filed July '31, 1957, Ser. No. 675,461

Claims priority, application Germany Aug. 6, 1956 3 Claims. (CI. 95-93) The invention relates to a process for the development of fiat, coated supports, especially of colour printing papers.

Hitherto the dish-method of development was the method most used by the amateur. Movement of the dishes took place by hand, in connection with which a number of disadvantages can easily be recognised. The colour developer is a skin irritant. On repeated use it loses its developing capacity. Moreover it is impossible to develop large quantities of papers in a uniform manner simultaneously.

Tank development has the disadvantage that the developer has to be pumped out, which requires expensive pumps resistant to chemical corrosion. Furthermore, calculated per unit of material to be developed, tank development requires large quantities of developer. On addition of regenerating media, colour changes in the papers to be developed cannot be avoided. This means that filters initially judged to be necessary for the images are no longer applicable if the developer is intermediately regenerated.

It is therefore still a requirement to evolve a container for developing that requires less developer liquid and in the use of which the developer liquid is completely exhausted and can afterwards be thrown away. Developing containers are known in which film to be developed, together with a metal band, is loosely coiled up and then turned in a container that can be partially filled with developer liquid. The disadvantage of this arrangement is that the roll of film must first be introduced into the container, then the developer added and then the turning of the film commenced, so that the developer added first wets the lower part of the film roll, while the upper part is still dry. Owing to this fact, spots are produced on the film. A further known arrangement is a hollow cylinder on the internal wall of which the film is caused to cling and into which a further cylinder is inserted so that only a little developer liquid is required. However this arrangement has the disadvantage that in pouring in the developer there is likewise an uneven wetting of the film material and uniform immersion and rinsing of the film are not possible.

The present invention provides a method in which the paper to be developed is brought into contact with the internal wall of a tube that can be closed at both ends, which tube, in the development operation, is caused to rotate with its axis horizontal, so that a small quantity of developer is suficient to effect a uniform development. The rotatable tube has light-tight closures at both ends, through which the developer is introduced during the rotation of the tube, by way of a supply means, arranged in a light-tight manner in the tube while allowing the same to rotate relatively thereto. The tube is furthermore divided internally by bridge pieces or projections into well defined areas in which the inserted papers are held against displacement during the developing process.

As compared with known arrangements of this type,

the process of the invention has the advantage that not only is a relatively small quantity of developer complete- 1y exhausted, but at the same time a uniform, fault-free treatment is guaranteed even in the case of large areas of material to be developed. Compared with known devices of this kind, the container of the invention is composed of a few simply produced parts. The movement (rotation) can be executed by means of an electric motor instead of by hand and by this means several such developing tubes can be operated simultaneously. By the method of the invention the tubes are driven merely by laying them upon rotating rollers which cause the tubes to rotate by friction. This method of drive is of particular advantage because the coupling of the tubes with the driving means takes place due only to the weight of the tubes themselves and the coupling is interruptedsimply by lifting the tubes away. By this means the device can be adapted to the work required at the moment, which was impossible in the case of hitherto known devices of this type.

The apparatus of the invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is an exploded perspective view of a developing tube 'with closures,

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a tube in position on the driving rollers,

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a developing tube showing bridge pieces, and

Fig. 4 is an end elevation in part section showing several developing tubes in position on driving rollers.

Referring to the drawings, in a tube 1, which can con sist for example of opaque plastic, an exposed paper print 2 is inserted in the coiled condition with the emulsion side inside. The internal periphery of the tube 1 must be at least a few millimeters larger than the space occupied by the paper 2 when in position, so that the paper does not overlap itself. The paper thus clings to the internal wall of the tube. By providing rods 3 in a correspondingly dimensioned tube (Fig. 3) several papers can be inserted in a single tube without allowing displacement or overlapping of one by another. The rods 3 can be replaced by projections dividing the internal wall into corresponding areas. After the paper or papers have been inserted in a darkroom, the tube 1 is closed at both ends in a light-tight manner, for example by means of stoppers 4, the borings 5 of which can be closed in a light-tight manner either by the smaller stoppers 6 or by the delivery tube 7 of a funnel 8 introduced into the tube in a light-tight manner and still allowing the same to rotate. The tube 1 is now positioned, for example, between rollers 9, one of which is driven by an electric motor 10 by means of a V-belt 11 and the tube thus itself commences to rotate. The developer liquid is now introduced through the funnel 8 in a darkroom. Development now takes place uniformly and without manual movement. Bright light can also be switched on after the device has been made light-tight.

At the end of the development period, intermediate washing takes place. After switching off the bright light, the stoppers 4 are removed, the exhausted developer poured off and the tube 1 immersed in a water bath. Treatment .with subsequent liquids (bleach-fixing) can take place by the same method.

Finally it should be mentioned that by means of the electric motor 10 and the V-belt 11 and rollers 9, one or more tubes 1 can be rotated as required by the amount of work needing attention at the moment, each tube taking rotation from a rotating roller and transmitting it to a previously stationary one.

What I claim is:

1. A process of photographic processing of a flexible sheet having lateral edges and having a light sensitive coating on one face of said sheet the process compris- .tire surface of said inwardly facing light sensitive coatand along the inner surface of said container over an are not exceeding 360 and with said lateral edges of said sheet facing each other without overlapping; rotating said tubular container with its axis extending in a horizontal direction and simultaneously introducing into a lower part of said container a quantity of processing liquid sufficient to coverthe lower part of said inwardly facing light sensitive coating, so that rotation of said container with said sheet thereinwill result in equal disface of said inwardly facing light sensitive coating.

v2. A process of photographic processing of a flexible sheet having parallel lateral edges and having a light sensitive coating on one face of said sheet the process comprising, in combination, the steps of bending the sheet into an at least partly tubular shape with said light sensitive coating facing inwardly. and said opposite lateral edges facing each other; inserting said bent sheet into a tubular container having an internal circumference equal to at least the distance between said opposite edges of said sheet so that said inserted sheet extends superimposed on and along the inner surface of said container over an are not exceeding 360 and with saidv lateral edges of said sheet facing each other without overlapping; rotating said tubular container with its axis extending in a horizontal direction and simultaneously introducing into a lower part of said container a quantity of processing liquid sufficient to cover the lower part of said inwardly facing light sensitive coating, so that rotation of said container with said sheet therein will result in tribution of the introduced liquid over the entire sur- 7 3. A process of photographic processing of a flexible sheet having a pair of parallel lateral edges and a front and a rear edge parallel to each other and having a light sensitive coating on one face of said sheet the process comprising, in combination, the steps of bending the sheet into an at least partly tubular shape with said light sensitive coating facing inwardly and said opposite lateral edges facing each other; inserting said bent sheet into a tubular container having an internal circumference equal to at least the distance betweensaid opposite edges of said sheet so that said inserted sheet extends superimposed on and along the inner surface of said container over an are not exceeding 360 with said lateral edges of said sheet facing each other without overlapping and with said front and said rear edge located within said container; rotating said tubular container with its axis extending in a horizontal direction and simultaneously introducing into a lower part of said container a quantity of processing liquid suflicient to cover the lower part of said inwardly facing light sensitive coating, so that rotation of said container with said sheet therein will result in equal distribution of the introduced liquid over the entire surface of said inwardly facing light sensitive coating.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Germany June 22, 

